


How Can You Mend a Broken Heart (November)

by jamesgatz1925



Series: Valentine Challenge [10]
Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Angst, Established Relationship, Fighting, Love, M/M, Make Up, Song fic, Songfic, not make up sex sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-13
Updated: 2018-02-13
Packaged: 2019-03-17 14:27:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13660899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jamesgatz1925/pseuds/jamesgatz1925
Summary: Rafael yells.





	How Can You Mend a Broken Heart (November)

Rafael was tense.

He was always tense. His default setting of tensity was always just below anxiety level, and this case was no different.

Everyone was tense. There wasn’t enough evidence, a few witnesses with different stories, but for once every squad member agreed that it was their main suspect. There was just no proving it.

So they all sat around going through evidence again. Video footage from bodegas on the street, the girl’s texts and social media, her backpack and paper journal that they were thankful for because they didn’t need a password to get into it, and the girl’s own recount of what happened.

Luckily, fortunately, thankfully, she had survived a near strangulation. Of course, when she past out, the perp left her for dead in an alley, and she didn’t have much to say when she woke and they interviewed her.

Even though she was alive, there was no trail, just a creepy guy who lived below her and had harassed her before, but they couldn’t yet pin him. So everyone was tense.

Sonny came into Liv’s office where Rafael was helping her, and it proved just how terrible this case was going that Rafael didn’t even feel a little bit excited about Sonny’s presence.

That, and he knew what Sonny was going to say. Interrogate the guy ‘til he cracked, find a way around it, use the usual tactics to get a confession. That’s how Rafael knew how tense this case was getting; Sonny was usually no less than one hundred-percent by the book, so if he was suggesting he tricks, he was desperate for a conviction. So was Rafael, but he knew how important it was to do it the right way.

“Why don’t we just—“ Sonny started.

Rafael snapped. He dropped the witness statement in his hand with a smack on the desk and glared at Sonny.

“Dios mio, Carisi,” he said, “Can’t you just shut up and let me do my job for once?”

“I was just trying to help.”

“You’re not helping. Can’t you go make yourself useful somewhere else? Aren’t you a cop before lawyer? Don’t you have a job to do?”

Sonny looked like a kicked puppy. He licked his lips, and Rafael knew he had something at the tip of his tongue, but he just nodded and walked out of the office.

“Geez,” Liv said at Rafael’s side. “What did he do to you? Forget to wash out his coffee mug this morning?”

Of course Olivia knew about them, even though the rest of the squad was still trying to figure it out. He knew she was joking, but he still didn’t respond with any excuse. He was tired, he was annoyed, and Sonny just wasn’t helping.

By the time Rafael left the precinct, Sonny was gone. As was Rollins, but Fin was left over, so Rafael assumed they were following a lead. Rafael went straight home and figured he’d wait up to talk to Sonny before bed.

Sonny never showed. It got to be one, two in the morning and Rafael couldn’t keep his eyes open anymore. He went to bed feeling guilty and nervous about Sonny’s whereabouts.

The next morning, Rafael went straight to the precinct to deliver two coffees: one for Liv and one for Sonny. He was sure Rollins and Fin would complain, but he didn’t care. The coffee was just an excuse to see Sonny anyway.

Rafael had assumed Sonny slept at the precinct after a late night, which he often does, so he expected Sonny to be at least in yesterday’s tie. To his surprise, Sonny was fresh faced, clean shaven, and had a new outfit on than the day before.

He went home. To his apartment. The one he occupied exactly never and only kept clothes in because they hadn’t officially moved in together yet. But Rafael yelled at him, and Sonny decided to sleep in his own apartment instead of in, what is sure to be called by now, their bed.

Rafael was not to be deterred by the disappointment of Sonny sleeping away from him the night before. He stepped right up to Sonny and held out a coffee.

Sonny didn’t even look up.

Rafael set the cup down. “I brought you a coffee.”

“Already got one.”

“Where’d you sleep last night?” Rafael asked.

“My home.”

If that wasn’t a shot to Rafael’s heart.

He opened his mouth to say something else, ask Sonny if he needed anything or lunch, but Sonny grabbed a notebook and pen.

“I have a job to do, Counselor, so if that’s it...”

Rafael frowned. He bowed out and walked away from Sonny’s desk, barely catching Rollins glare from across Sonny’s desk as he stepped towards Olivia’s office.

Rafael knew he needed to make it up to Sonny. He really hoped Sonny would forgive him, still love him, even though Rafael was a complete ass.

That afternoon, they catch a break. A security camera from across the street of the alley where the girl was found caught a glimpse of the neighbor booking it out of the alley, but it was enough to pick the guy up. Sonny went for the arrest, and Rafael was glad because he hoped it would brighten Sonny’s mood.

For a few days after the arrest, Sonny avoided Rafael. Finally, Friday arrived, and Rafael decided he had enough.

He sent Sonny a text asking him to come home. He said ‘home’. He used the word ‘home’ when talking about his apartment with Sonny. He really needed to make the arrangement official.

Rafael truly didn’t expect Sonny to come, but he made a plan to take Sonny to his favorite sports bar for dinner. Rafael hated the place, hated the music and the noise and the hyper masculinity, but he loved Sonny.

Sonny arrived, surprisingly. He was wearing a beautiful three piece suit, and Sonny looked exhausted and uncomfortable to be there.

“Is that what you’re wearing?” Rafael asked, meaning to joke.

“What, you wanna yell at me for that, too?” Sonny snapped.

Rafael frowned. “Look, just go change. Go put on something comfortable. I have a surprise for you.”

Sonny side-eyed him. “What is it?”

“Just go. Before I change my mind.”

Rafael watched him go and was glad when Sonny returned wearing a Knicks sweatshirt that he had bought Sonny last month. Rafael had learned that the Knicks were the absolute best basketball team, even though they sucked, and Sonny loved them.

Again, Rafael loved Sonny.

“Ok?” Sonny asked as Rafael stared at him, wondering if he should go in for a kiss. He decided against it, because Sonny did not look like he was in the mood for any Rafael kisses, even though they hadn’t kissed in days.

“Let’s go,” Rafael said.

Sonny followed and looked confused, and the cab ride was silent the entire way to the bar.

When they stopped, Rafael paid and they filed out onto the sidewalk.

“What are we doing here?” Sonny asked. “You hate this place.”

“But I love you,” Rafael said, “And rather than hiding you in our apartment to have my way with you because I fucked up and pushed you away for days, I thought we could do something you like. So we can watch baseball, or football, or soccer, or—“

“Baseball is over, football’s on Sunday’s, and come on, Rafi, do you listen to me at all? I thought it was just at work that you didn’t wanna know my opinions.”

“I do want to know your opinions,” Rafael argued. “My point is that I’m sorry. I’m sorry for yelling at you, for taking everything out on you. You don’t deserve it, and I really hope you can forgive me.”

Sonny sighed. He tugged on Rafael’s shoulder until Rafael fell into a hug.

“Jesus, Rafi, all I want is an apology sometimes. It was tense, we were all going crazy, but does it ever occur to you to just say you’re sorry right off the bat?”

“I’m...not used to wanting to apologize. I’ve never had anyone I didn’t want to run away from me.”

“I wasn’t running away. I was mad.”

“Was?” Rafael asked, looking up at Sonny.

“Well yeah, the first night. After that, I was just waiting for you.”

Rafael rolled his eyes. “So this whole week I’ve been going crazy—“

“When you coulda just said you were sorry.”

“Well, I am sorry. Very sorry. I’ll try not to snap at you anymore. You do help.”

“I know that. Come on, you couldn’t do it without me.”

“You...may be right.”

Sonny slowly grinned. “I’m sorry, what?”

“I’m not saying it again.”

Sonny laughed. He kissed Rafael’s forehead.

“Now, come on,” Rafael said, pulling away to grab Sonny’s hand. “Let’s go watch Quidditch before I change my mind.”

“You know that’s Harry Potter, right?”

“It was a joke, Sonny.”

Rafael tried to move, but Sonny wouldn’t budge.

“Sonny?”

“You said ‘our’.”

Rafael looked confused, because Sonny continued:

“You said ‘our apartment’.”

“I...did.”

“Is that what you think of it as?”

“Isn’t it?” Rafael asked.

“I mean, I have another lease, another bed, another boyfriend to satisfy—“

Rafael glared at him. “I’m not sure that’s funny.”

Sonny laughed. “My point is, it’s not official. I don’t live there. And I’m not the one who’s gonna invite myself in. My mama taught me better manners than that.”

“Then I guess you’ll be waiting until I ask, won’t you?”

Sonny lifted an eyebrow. It was Rafael’s Look. Rafael was teaching Sonny negative habits.

“Move in with me,” Rafael said. It wasn’t a question, it was a demand.

“Your mama didn’t tell you to ask nicely?”

“She didn’t.”

“I’m tellin’ her.”

“You’re diverting.”

“You didn’t ask!”

“There are sports waiting for us, Sonny.”

Sonny rolled his eyes. “Okay, fine, only because I can tell how uncomfortable you are by your vulnerability right now. I’ll move in with you.”

“That’s all you had to say.”

“You just had to ask!”

Now Rafael rolled his eyes.

“Hey,” Sonny said. “I love you.”

Rafael sighed. “I love you, too. Now, do you want to go watch sports or not?”

“What did you say about locking me in the apartment and having your way with me?”

“Dios mio,” Rafael said as Sonny leaned in for a kiss.

Rafael needed the kiss, though. After not kissing Sonny for days, his body was begging for it.

But Sonny broke it off after a short kiss.

“Come on, I’m starving.”

“Tease,” Rafael said, following Sonny into the bar.

Later that night, they went home to their apartment, they made love in their bed, and the next day Sonny moved all of his stuff to Rafael’s apartment. To their apartment.

**Author's Note:**

> Song: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart by The Bee Gees. 
> 
> Prompt: Surprise date


End file.
